The Autonomous Robot for Gas and Oil Sites (ARGOS) Challenge was an industrial international competition organised by the energy company Total in partnership with the French National Research Agency (ANR). The objective was to foster the design of the first autonomous surface robot capable of operating safely in explosive atmospheres and harsh onshore or offshore oil and gas production environments. Competitors designed ATEX-certified mobile platforms capable of autonomous inspection missions, reading instrumentation gauges, detecting structural anomalies or gas leaks, and navigating complex industrial multi-story metallic structures.